Should you visit Clearwater or Charlotte?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Clearwater and Charlotte. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Clearwater
Clearwater is a city in Florida's Tampa Bay area known for its sunny weather and gulf coast beaches. Its most famous beach (Clearwater Beach) is located on a barrier island with white sands and crystal waters - a perfect setting for activities such as fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, dolphin and sunset tours, parasailing, and more.
Charlotte
With a population of almost 800,000, Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina. The city has grown rapidly in recent years and the thriving economy has led to major revitalization efforts in the city's central district. The city is a center for finance, industry, technology, and entertainment within the state. It is the location of the corporate headquarters of Bank of America as well as the east coast operations of Wells Fargo, making it the second largest banking center in the United States. Although Charlotte has never been considered a significant tourist destination, recent efforts to enhance the urban core and develop entertainment venues have begun to appeal to outside visitors.
Which city is cheaper, Charlotte or Clearwater?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Clearwater is $241, while the average daily cost in Charlotte is $153. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Clearwater and Charlotte in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $208 for a double occupancy room in Clearwater.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $188 in Charlotte For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $38 per day in Clearwater for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Charlotte costs travelers about $37 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Clearwater $38
Charlotte $37
Typical Food prices in Charlotte
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Charlotte:
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Clearwater is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $177 per person, per day, on local transportation in Clearwater.
Charlotte's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $27 per person, per day on transportation in Charlotte.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Clearwater
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Clearwater:
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Port Canaveral:
$658
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$588
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Private Transfer from Clearwater Beach to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$453
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$147
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Clearwater Beach to Tampa Airport (TPA) - Departure Private Transfer:
$83
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach - Arrival Private Transfer:
$75
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St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to Clearwater Beach -Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$72
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Clearwater Beach to St.Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) -Departure Private Transfer:
$37
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St. Pete–Clearwater Airport (PIE) to St. Petersburg - Arrival Private Transfer:
$37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Charlotte
Also for Charlotte, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Departure Transfer to Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT):
$38
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Private Arrival Transfer from Charlotte Douglas Airport CLT:
$38
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Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT) to Charlotte City - Arrival Private Transfer:
$54
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Charlotte City to Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT) - Departure Private Transfer:
$54
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Departure Private Transfer Charlotte to Charlotte Douglas Airport CLT Sedan Car:
$85
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Arrival Private Transfer Charlotte Douglas Airport CLT to Charlotte by Sedan car:
$86
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Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT) to Charlotte City - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$106
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Departure Private Transfer Charlotte to Charlotte Douglas Airport CLT by SUV:
$140
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Arrival Private Transfer Charlotte Douglas Airport CLT to Charlotte by SUV:
$141
Is it cheaper to fly into Clearwater or Charlotte?
Prices for flights to both Charlotte and Clearwater change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Charlotte can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $34 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Clearwater
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Clearwater are as follows:
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Adventure Boat in Clearwater Beach:
$23
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Beach Cruiser Bicycle:
$15
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Boeing 737 Flight Simulator Experience:
$154
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Calypso Queen Tropical Party Buffet Cruise:
$35
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Clearwater Beach Pier 60 Tour:
$199
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Clearwater Daytime Yacht Music Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Clearwater Dolphin-Watching Tour:
$27
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Clearwater Encounters with Dolphins Tour:
$20
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Clearwater Evening Yacht Cruise with Optional Dining:
$22
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Clearwater Sunset Celebration Cruise:
$29
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Dolphin Adventure at Clearwater Beach:
$32
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Dolphin Sightseeing Tour of Clearwater Beach with Free Ice Cream:
$21
Tours and Activities in Charlotte
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Charlotte.
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Charlotte Beyond the Grave Haunted History Walking Ghost Tour:
$18
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Charlotte Ghost Walking Tour:
$23
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Charlotte Comedy City Tour:
$30
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Charlotte Comedy City PG-13 Tour:
$35
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Charlotte's Historical City Tour:
$38
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Belize Jungle Limo - Triple Activity Tour:
$50
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Historic Uptown Neighborhood Segway Tour of Charlotte:
$60
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Private and Custom Tours:
$75
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Discover Charlotte Historic City: Segway Tour:
$234
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Charlotte, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $16.
Sample the Local Flavors in Charlotte
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Charlotte:
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Haunted Charlotte Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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Trolley Pub Tour of Charlotte:
$41
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3-Hour Charlotte Brewery Crawl Tour:
$54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Clearwater and Charlotte, we can see that Clearwater is more expensive. And not only is Charlotte much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Charlotte would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Charlotte and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Clearwater would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Clearwater than you might in Charlotte.
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